New oil-flow estimates by scientists studying the blown-out well [in the Gulf of Mexico] determined it has spilled between 64 million and 148 million litres, far more than the 42 million litres that spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster…

Early estimates said the oil was gushing out of a broken pipe rising from the wellhead at a rate of 800,000 litres a day.

On Thursday, scientists with the Geological Survey said the amount was five times that.

There’s a big difference between 800,000 litres and five times that amount at 4 million litres, but let’s just say there’s 2 million litres of oil gushing into the ocean every day. That’s a little over 20 litres of oil every second. Let’s also take an average of the estimated spillage so far and call it 106 million litres.

— Kuwait – 1991 – 520 million gallons [1.9 billion litres]
Iraqi forces opened the valves of several oil tankers in order to slow the invasion of American troops. The oil slick was four inches thick and covered 4000 square miles of ocean. [But this doesn’t count because it was deliberate.]

— Mexico – 1980 – 100 million gallons [378 million litres]
An accident in an oil well caused an explosion which then caused the well to collapse. The well remained open, spilling 30,000 gallons a day into the ocean for a full year.

— Trinidad and Tobago – 1979 – 90 million [340 million litres]
During a tropical storm off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, a Greek oil tanker collided with another ship, and lost nearly its entire cargo.

If British Petroleum’s “top kill” effort to plug the well (pictured above) doesn’t work — if they have to wait 3 months to drill a safety well to release the pressure from the original well…

4 million litres a day (the worst case estimate) in 90 days = 360 million litres.

To all my friends who are Habs fans, you have my support for this play off run. Here is why. You’ve finally realized Halak is your #1 trade Price (not to the Leafs). Where did this team come from! Was is Gainy after all? Also two of my favourite former Leafs have greatly helped — Gill and Moore. I would have loved to see Moore with Kessel — he made Blake look good. Go Habs! (Good for this play off run only.)

I was asked to participate in a survey from Confirmit.com while reading this morning’s news at CBC.ca. I said yes and answered a series of questions about where I get most of my news: Radio, Internet, Television, Newspapers or Other. I get 90% of my news from CBC.ca or CBC Radio. I don’t watch TV and I don’t often read newspapers. I had no problem sharing this information because I’m happy to do what I can to improve CBC services. I was hoping to see a question about reader comments on CBC.ca so I could say, “Shut it down.” There are better ways to actively contribute to the flow and exchange of cultural expression than through the comments feature on CBC.ca which has largely become a haven for trolls. But they didn’t ask about that. Instead, after going out of my way to answer the survey questions, I get this message at the end of it all: